Political consultant Michael Geoghegan announced Wednesday that he’s running for mayor of Victoria, with a First Nations leader, three shipyard unionists and the sculptor of the recently removed statue of John A. Macdonald lending support.
Geoghegan said he wants to end bureaucratic red tape and stop the not-in-my-backyard attitudes that are stalling the creation of more affordable housing in Victoria.
“This is a watershed election,” he told about 30 people gathered on the legislature grounds. “We are sleepwalking into a dystopia where only the very wealthy and the very poor will live.”
Alongside Geoghegan was Russ Chipps, chief councillor of the Beecher Bay First Nation, who credited Geoghegan for helping his people negotiate land swaps with neighbouring municipalities Langford and Metchosin.
Representatives of three shipyard workers’ unions — sheet metal workers, electricians and plumbers/pipe fitters — were also at the announcement voicing support.
Phil Venoit, business manager of the IBEW Local 230 representing electrical workers, said Geoghegan was instrumental in bringing federal shipyard work to B.C., building vessels for the Canadian Coast Guard when Eastern shipyards wanted the contract.
Also there was sculptor John Dann, creator of the 36-year-old statue of John A. Macdonald, which was removed Aug. 11 from the entrance to Victoria City Hall, two days after council voted 7-1 in favour. Coun. Geoff Young was the lone dissenter.
The statue was removed as part of a Victoria effort at reconciliation with First Nations. Macdonald, Canada’s first prime minister, is said to have been instrumental in policies that harmed First Nations, including the imposition of residential schools.
Dann said if he thought his statue was an offence to First Nations, he would have demanded its removal himself. The decision and quickfire removal so angered him he considered running himself, he said.
Instead, Dann said he is endorsing Geoghegan, who condemned Mayor Lisa Helps for the statue’s removal.
“We don’t need a mayor who would rather tear down statues than promote the building of housing for the poor and middle class,” Geoghegan said.
He announced his candidacy from a rose garden on the grounds of the legislature. A legislature official said Geoghegan filled out a form requesting a “public use of grounds” and was granted permission.
Geoghegan, 52, entered politics as a provincial ministerial assistant during the 1991-1996 government of NDP premier Mike Harcourt.
Since then he was worked as an analyst and consultant.
Geoghegan lives mostly in Saanich, where he has a condominium. He also owns a home in Victoria.
This is his second run at municipal politics. Last year, Geoghegan lost in the Saanich byelection to fill the space vacated after Coun. Vic Derman died.
At Wednesday’s announcement, Geoghegan said he isn’t running in Saanich because that municipality already has enough good candidates.
Geoghegan is one of nine candidates running for mayor of Victoria in the Oct. 20 municipal election. The others are Gary Beyer, Rob Duncan, Stephen Hammond, Lisa Helps, Sean Leitenberg, Ryan Moen, Bruce McGuigan and Chris Zmuda.
For more information, including links to the candidates’ websites, go to timescolonist.com/elections.
